In Budapest
by Christina salvatore
Summary: Vacation and Assassins go hand in hand right? Well for Clint Barton that's just his life. On Vacation in Budapest he and his wife didn't realize how much trouble they signed up for! Black Widows and Shield and Babies oh my! (they really should have gone to Paris!)


**_So many people have asked my take on Budapest and what happened there. So I wrote this, yeah it's probably not what happened but that's what fanfiction is for...to improve our writing and to give our view of canon. so without further ado...I give you_**

 ** In Budapest**

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 _"_ _Just like Budapest all over again!" "You and I remember Budapest very differently!"_

 _Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton- from 'The Avengers'_

* * *

 **People wondered about Budapest. What had happened, and why no one spoke of it. Fury knew, but he was The Spy. Coulson knew, but he was Coulson. Laura Barton knew because she was there.**

 **Eleven years ago.**

 **Clint had been on vacation with his very pregnant wife. He had almost taken her to Paris and in years to come they would look back and wonder what their lives would be if they had bypassed Budapest and gone to Paris.**

 **They were wandering around St Stephens Basilica when Clint first got the call from Coulson, "a team from the Red Room is in pursuit of the Black Widow near your location, we can't get any agents in…I want you to join the hunt and find her before they do. They want her back, Fury wants her dead."**

 **Clint took the sensible first step….getting his wife out of there. He was carefully negotiating the streets of Budapest when he saw her. She would have blended into a crowd easily but for the distinctive red hair and the mark of the Red Room on her neck.**

 **Clint couldn't be sure she hadn't seen him but had no choice but to keep driving and get his wife to safety, because Black Widow might not attack him but the assassins from the Red room would.**

 **Once he got Laura to a safe house he began to pull weapons, armor, and ammo from his stash and barricade the door, making sure that Laura was safe was his first priority, but he couldn't let the Red Room get a hold of their greatest asset once again, so with a heavy heart (and quite a few guns left behind to protect Laura) he set off in search of the Black Widow.**

 _Natasha's POV_

 **Natasha Romanoff was waiting for the assassins who had most likely been sent after her. Girls who had probably been promised her status as The Black Widow, girls who had been raised with Natasha were now fighting for the privilege of killing her. Nadia, Talia, and Anastasia, all three girls had gone through the same program she had…and survived.**

 **A program so intense that only four out of twenty had survived the training, the girls were raised to avoid attachment, their only thoughts about their competition were about how to take them down, so Natasha didn't expect mercy from the girls she had grown up with, after all, she certainly wouldn't give them any.**

 **Anastasia found her first, Natasha smiled viciously from her spot in the shadows. Ana was always the best tracker of the three, but she preferred to fight from a distance rather than get up close, Natasha knew that not only was she a weak hand to hand fighter, she was the one most likely to be sentimental.**

 **Strategy mapped out, Natasha made her first move. Stepping into full view of Anastasia she pasted a look of astonishment and irritation on her face. "How did you find me?" she snapped, "and why would they send you! I can imagine Nadia or Talia being the one thought to be able to bring in my head…but not you."**

 **Anastasia laughed, "You can't think that will work Natasha." She said. Pulling two handguns from her coat, "I am not as thin-skinned as all that! Besides they don't want your head, they want YOU." Natasha grimaced in her heart though her face was void of any expression. "What did they promise the person who can best the Black Widow? My title as the best Widow? You can't think they'd give it to you. They will wipe my memories and I will continue as their weapon of death and destruction, not that you could bring me in." Anastasia nodded, "that had occurred to me," she shrugged "So I already decided to just kill you, less chance of being cheated of my reward." Natasha sneered at her opponent, "you can try. You never could best me Anastasia."**

 **She caught the movement a fraction before Anastasia made it, knowing a person's style and tells helped in combat. She burst into action just as Anastasia brought her guns up; she dodged and ran pulling out the knives strapped to her wrists. Anastasia kept trying to shoot her. Knowing that, when Natasha got close enough to use her knives she would have the advantage. It would be easier to bring her down if she was already injured. (If she could kill her before she got close so much the better.)**

 **Natasha threw the knives, one went wide but the other hit Anastasia's shoulder, throwing off her aim and making her drop a gun, soon Natasha was close enough that Anastasia had no choice but engage in hand to hand.**

 **They went at each other with a fury born of desperation, each knowing that losing meant death. Soon it became obvious that Natasha was winning, Natasha was the better and with a knife lodged in her shoulder Anastasia had no chance.**

 **The loss of blood soon made her collapse before Natasha could get through her guard. Natasha knelt down and whispered with respect for a fellow assassin and once a friend "well fought and farewell Anastasia." Pulling her knife she used it to finish her opponent off, giving her the mercy of a quick death at least.**

 **Stripping the body of all weapons Natasha left the scene and went in search of Talia and Nadia, neither of whom she would feel half the regret at killing as she did with Anastasia. She knew their penchant for cruelty and their hatred for her just made them more dangerous.**

 **The other two were slightly smarter and more experienced then Anastasia had been, which would make it harder to take them out, but not impossible…not for her.**

 **As she was hunting for Talia and Nadia she glimpsed a Shield agent leaving the area. She sighed, with Shield involved it would be more difficult to avoid capture, The agent was one she had tangled with before; a man named Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye.**

 _Clint's POV_

 **Clint cursed. He had spent a good hour searching for the Black Widow. She'd completely evaded him the only sign of her was the body he'd found in an alleyway, and who knew how far away she'd gotten by now? And meanwhile Laura was alone without him to protect her.**

 **He was already impatient with the whole thing when he came upon the patrol of men from the Red Room, nearing the hotel. There were about five men in the group searching for the Black Widow...not nearly enough to get past a man protecting his pregnant wife, even less so when that man is Hawkeye.**

 **"** **You're violent tonight." Coulson remarked in his ear. "I'd almost say that I've never seen you this angry."**

 **"** **Laura is in the same city as the Black Widow and three other Red Room operatives, not to mention all the guards sent to help bring her in! It could be a small army Phil! And my wife is in the middle of it!" Coulson grunted,"Will it cheer you up to know that there are only about twenty Red Room operatives in the city? Not counting the Widows." "Thanks Coulson, that helps not at all. Now I'm going to call my wife and make sure she hasn't had to shoot anyone."**

 **After the call to his wife (during which she told him that next time she got to pick the vacation spot) Clint looked around, "where would I go if I were The Widow? I would be trying to take out anyone with a hope of taking me out." He answered himself.**

 _Natasha's POV_

 **It was almost comical how simple it was to find Talia; Yasha would be disappointed in how she had forgotten his lessons…not that Natasha had done any better at remembering his lessons in evasion.**

 **Once she found Talia it was a simple thing to maneuver the other Widow to a better fighting ground. It was the careful work of an hour to secretly manipulate the girl to a fight on Natasha's terms.**

 **When she struck it was fast and deadly. Although Talia heard her coming, the other Widow didn't have time to mount a secure defense. Talia did manage to put up a fight before Natasha finally got close enough to snap her neck from behind, Talia got in one good shot with her handgun which although not fatal would slow down the already tired and bruised Black Widow.**

 **She cursed; fighting Nadia could prove to be difficult, she thought as she bound the wound tightly. Luckily the bullet had only grazed her leg and hadn't touched any important arteries but it was painful and could slow her down. Add that to the fact that Nadia was the most experienced of the three and the closest to her own level of training and Natasha wasn't happy about her chances.**

 **Finding Nadia soon was important. Even someone conditioned to fight through pain would eventually be overcome by it, and Natasha could not afford to lose to Nadia, even if the other Widow didn't kill her she would take her back to the Red Room, and Natasha wouldn't let them take her back she wouldn't let them make her forget her choice to leave.**

 **Which was why, when she found Nadia she went straight for her handguns. Natasha preferred to fight hand to hand, but when she was tired and wounded her tendency was to go for a longer ranged weapon then her knives. She was less likely to get injured any further that way.**

 **Keeping Nadia far enough away that she could effectively shoot at her with any kind of accuracy proved difficult, mostly because Nadia saw what she was doing and made it a point to get as close as possible so she could gain the upper hand.**

 **It was one of the most painful fights of Natasha's life. Her leg hurt! And Nadia was so close to her skill level that she would have had a hard time at her best with no wounds. This made staying one step of ahead of Nadia one of the hardest tasks she had ever faced.**

 **Natasha was holding herself together, but she was tiring when someone joined the fight shooting arrows into the whirlwind of arms legs and hair. Glancing to the roof the projectiles came from she recognized Hawkeye.**

 **Nadia now had to avoid both Natasha's dangerous blows and the arrows being fired by this new threat. Soon she was finished, Natasha didn't hesitate, she wasn't trained to and she could not let the Red Room make another Widow with her capabilities.**

 _Clint's POV_

 **Clint walked over to where The Black Widow knelt, "don't get too close. I might shoot you, regardless of the help you gave me." Clint chuckled, "even if you had bullets left, you wouldn't shoot me." He said leaning down to help her up, "and why is that?" she asked. "For one thing you're curious as to why I helped you, and for another I doubt even Natasha Romanoff can take down twenty men while exhausted and injured."**

 **Natasha thought for a moment, "true." And after a moment, "why did you help me?" Clint shot her a grin that she would come to associate with his terrible ideas. "Simple. I can normally take down twenty men at a time alone with just my bow, but I have a civilian to protect."**

 **Clint decided not to tell her that the civilian in question was his wife…best not to give her anything to use against him. The assassin nodded.**

 **Clint glanced sideways, studying Natasha. Close up she looked about the same as any other woman he knew…albeit slightly more dangerous than most of his acquaintances. He could see that her leg was paining her and wondered at her strength she wasn't even flinching. "The hotel we're in is close. "He told her. She nodded, "who is this civilian?" "A woman who was unfortunately caught in the crossfire, and I can't get her out." He told her.**

 **Natasha glanced at him. His tone hadn't been convincing, but she let the issue go for now. "You don't talk much do you Natasha?" Clint asked, "Talking wastes breath I need, and serves no purpose." Clint winced, "they really did a number on you didn't they." He remarked, "How long were you there? How old are you? Do you have any friends?" "Twenty years. I'm twenty-five. No."**

 **Clint was silent for approximately seven minutes and then he stopped. "You've been trained since you were five!" Natasha nodded, "and in all that time you never made one friend?" Again a silent nod was his only response. Clint stayed silent, clearly thinking through this new information, they came to the safe house he'd left Laura at.**

 **"** **The woman here is pregnant, she's not a threat and I need you to promise you won't frighten her." Natasha looked at him, "being married to you must mean she's strong." At his startled look she raised an eyebrow, "you didn't take off the ring, and I can't think of any other reason as to why you would protect a pregnant civilian." "You are good, I'll give you that." Clint responded.**

 **"** **Well then. Let me assure you Black Widow if you harm frighten or endanger my wife in any way I will make sure you don't survive, and when it comes to Laura I always keep my word."**

 **Turning to the door he knocked softly, "Laura I'm coming in, don't shoot Me." she pulled him into a hug the moment he cleared the doorway.**

 **"** **I love you." She said, "I love you too sweetheart. We'll have you home soon, Natasha and I just need to deal with the rest of the Red room agents," Clint replied. His wife acknowledged Natasha with a nod before turning back to him. "Clint, I've been having pains for about a half hour…and my water just broke."**

 **From the window Natasha called to him. "We have another problem. It appears we were tracked, and I don't think we can get your wife anywhere while we're actively being attacked." Clint let loose with several very creative swears in three different languages.**

 **"** **Can you deliver a baby?" he asked Natasha frantically, pushing his wife onto the bed. "You're in no condition to fight anyway and Laura can't do this alone!" Natasha gave him a look. "I can, but you have to swear to me that you can fight through her screams. Because she will scream loudly with much cursing make no mistake, and if you stop to comfort her we will die."**

 **Clint nodded painfully. "I can do that. I'll pick them off as they come. Hopefully I'll kill them and manage to get Laura to the hospital if not before she gives birth then soon after." Natasha busied herself with collecting things she would need. "Depending on how far along she is it may be simpler to wait for her to give birth and then take her to the hospital."**

 **From the bed Laura muttered, "Can you include me in this conversation? And introduce me to this woman who is about to help me through childbirth?"**

 **Clint nodded, "sorry, honey this is Natasha, Natasha this is Laura." Turning to his weapons he began to take inventory, load guns, collect a supply of knives, and ready his bow.**

 _Natasha's POV_

 **Obviously this woman had no idea who she was. Natasha was shocked for a moment, it felt strange not to be known and feared, but when she thought about it she realized how good it was to be able to be seen just as Natasha, not The Widow, not some cover, Natasha.**

 **She glanced at Clint; he was gathering weapons seemingly ignoring both of them. She wasn't fooled, he was watching her. If she tried anything Natasha was sure he would kill her then and there before she could do anything. He met her eyes and a moment passed where she was sure he saw her thoughts and responded to them without words.**

 **Carefully putting her knives within arm's reach she rolled up her sleeves and began to ready Laura. Natasha had been present during births twice before, one she had been younger and the other…she hadn't been in the position to take notes.**

 **From behind her she could hear the sounds of Clint firing his bow ignoring Laura's cries. She was surprised when she realized she had turned her back on him. But she had no time to ponder that.**

 **Some women take hours to give birth, some only minutes after the water breaks. Laura seemed to be about in the middle. After an hour they both expected something soon.**

 **Natasha wasn't sure when she realized something was wrong, or how. Perhaps it was a memory, perhaps it was simply instinct. Either way something was wrong, the baby wasn't coming. Natasha looked at Laura.**

 **"** **Something's wrong." She said simply, "I can deliver you quickly with a C-section….it will hurt. But if I don't I can't guarantee that the baby will be alright." Laura looked into her eyes, "Do it." Natasha nodded and reached for her knives.**

 **It takes a special kind of courage to give birth in general, but to agree to someone who has no experience and whom you barely know cutting your child out of you, in the middle of a battle, without anything stronger than Tylenol, is not just courageous… but takes an unshakeable faith that is normally only found in Saints.**

 **The C-section took what seemed like a lifetime. Natasha went slowly and carefully, mercifully Laura had passed out before they were too far into the process, but by the time the baby was born Natasha was able to wrap him up and place him into his mother's arms.**

 **Entering the room where Clint was. Natasha leaned against the doorway. "I'm assuming you'll want to get Laura and your son to the hospital as soon as possible. They both need to be looked at by a professional." Clint nodded, tossing her his cell he strode for the other room. "Call them will you?"**

 **Smiling at his eagerness she dialed 911 and gave them the address. Entering the other room where Clint and Laura were fawning over their son, Natasha was struck with the simple peace of the scene.**

 **"** **An ambulance is on the way…but in calling one we did just compromise your safe house." She reminded Clint. "Natasha. Would you ride with us in the ambulance? You know better than I do what you did and what you gave me." Laura said sincerely. Natasha agreed, if only to make the new mother feel better.**

 **When they got to the hospital there was a flurry of activity, Natasha told the doctors what she had done and what she'd given Laura. Clint tried to convince her to get her bullet wound checked out as well, but she refused.**

 **Once Laura was checked out by several Doctors Natasha planned to slip out quietly, but Clint fell asleep and she would not leave Laura and the baby undefended and when he awakened he pulled her aside.**

 **"** **I can't tell you how much I owe you for keeping them both alive." He told her. "I was supposed to kill you, but now that's not an option. You have a choice. You can join Shield….or you can leave, I'll let you go and I won't hunt you." Natasha smirked "have you cleared your offer with Shield?" Clint looked sheepish.**

 **"** **Shield is on their way, yes?" At his nod she continued, "I plan to be far away by the time they get here. The Red Room will send more people once they hear how this attempt has failed. I won't let anyone get caught in this like you and Laura were." Clint nodded, "at least say goodbye to Laura before you go." He insisted.**

 **Natasha slipped into the room, Laura seemed to be sleeping, the baby however cooed in his bassinet. She walked over to him and lifted him into her arms. "** _You are strong, little man, strong and fierce. Stay safe for Natashka little one."_ **she whispered in Russian.**

 **"** **His name is Cooper." Laura told her from the bed, Natasha turned, the baby still in her arms. "A good name, is it for anyone?" Laura shook her head, "we just liked the name." she held her arms out for Cooper as he started to fuss and Natasha complied carefully helping her get him in a position to nurse. "I know you plan on leaving." Laura told her, "and you can't. I know Clint will fight for you to join Shield please at least try. I want to get to know you, I want to know the woman I owe my son's life…and my own."**

 **"** **You know I'm the Black Widow." Natasha said. Laura nodded "Clint told you. I have too much blood on my hands to be near your family." Laura shook her head yawning as she did so. "Shield can wipe the red out of your ledger," she told her sleepily. Natasha grinned at the half asleep woman. Taking Cooper from her arms she returned him to the bassinet. Turning to leave the room she barely heard Laura's whispered, "Please stay Nat."**

 _Clint's POV_

 **Clint was on the phone with Coulson when Natasha slipped a piece of paper into his hand. He opened it up and read two words that would change his life forever.**

 _'_ _I'll stay.'_

 _The End_

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 ** _I'm BACK! We recently got rid of Wifi and now I have to write stories at home and upload them. So stories might take longer to update then normal...but I promise to try and update as often as possible._**

 **I plan to write a series based off of this one. About Natasha and her time in the Red Room. I hope to finish my other stories first, but it really depends on when ideas hit me.**


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